What instrument is better to play jazz, the guitar or saxophone?
Joshua asked:
I like them both, and I can already play the guitar pretty well, but I love jazz music, and all my favorite players are horn and sax players (besides drums and bass of course). I just don’t know if the electric guitar fits into modern jazz very well, free jazz and stuff like that.
I like them both, and I can already play the guitar pretty well, but I love jazz music, and all my favorite players are horn and sax players (besides drums and bass of course). I just don’t know if the electric guitar fits into modern jazz very well, free jazz and stuff like that.
I say guitar.. =D
personally, i think the saxophone
I’m a sax player so I’m already pretty biased, but I think it depends on setting. It’s more difficult as a sax performer if you’re on your own as there’s nothing to keep rhythm and tonality for you, which if you like to improvise can cause an issue for listeners. Guitars on the other hand have the versatility in that they are more useful on their own but carry a less soulful feel. So if you like your funky, calm jazz then I’d say go for sax.
Sax rules.
Sax.
Iam in Marching Band.
and when Conerct sesason comes everyone wants to play sax.
The saxophone, of course! It’s a classic. I’ve never seen a jazz video with a guitar.
sax, its just got that jazz feel for the music better then the guitar
I would say guitar. I just love how you get that bluesy feel when you strum a chord. But sax it pretty kewl too
Personally, i say the guitar.
Yes, the sax is a very big part in jazz, one of it’s main components at times, but i think if you let the music flow through you, you’ll be surprised what you can come up with…
Neither are better, they are both different. It depends what music you wish to play and what sound you wish to make. They both have different advantages and disadvantages, for instance you can use a guitar to play rhythm but you can only play lead with a saxophone. If you’ve got the time, I say learn both! Have fun
well they both are good but personally I would say saxophone. I play alto saxophone and my favorite genre of music to play is jazz. the saxophone is the heart of every jazz band. without saxophones, a jazz band is nothing but an ensemble. without a guitar…it’s still a jazz band
Modern jazz can, and is, played on anything.
If you got “something to say” then you should know better then us which instrument you need to say it on.
Its your music.
Guitar.
It allows you to play chords and melody, and the fact that you already know how to play it makes it a lot easier. The great thing about playing chords is you can play while other people are soloing, adding another level of interaction.
There are lots of electric guitars in modern jazz, if you get out of the horn dominated stuff. Look into guitar groups and artists like Jim Hall. And tonally guitar and sax are often utilized in a similar manner from an arranger’s standpoint. I can’t count the times a big band director has given me a sax part to play.
as to free jazz - I’ve had a few killer free jazz jams that were nothing but two guitars and a mandolin. And a few more that were 2 guitars, a bass and a high hat/snare ‘drum kit’. It’s the mindset of the music, not what instruments play it that matters.
I would say both are excellent instruments for this genre. It depends what style of jazz you want to play. If you want to play fast, then I would suggest the archtop guitar to save your lungs and cheeks from any pain. If you just want to play some slow melodies then chose the sax. The guitar has less sustain so a sax would be more suitable for sustaining long notes than the guitar. Also a guitar can be used for both melody and rhythm. The sax is mostly for playing solo melody. If you want both, go for the guitar. One last thing, a sax is louder than a guitar when playing acoustically. You will definitely need an amplifier if you want to play a guitar along with a jazz band.
electric guitar is very jazzy, it totally fits in with all the modern stuff now. and besides, everyone knows that piano is the ultimate jazz instrument.
The Sax because the guitar sounds to rockish.
Depends what you like. You can make beautiful jazz chords on the guitar and take solos as well. You can arrange the music on the guitar. The sax is a premier solo instrument in jazz. The sax is to jazz what an electric guitar is to rock. Also, and you have the versatility to play soprano, alto, & tenor sax and be part of a horn section.
I love jazz guitar.
But, I think that when I watch jazz live the instrument that blows me away the most is the drums!
Doing a bit of a poll too:
That’s an impossible question to answer. I am a trumpet and piano player, but love listening to Jazz guitar and Sax equally. When it comes to beauty and design of the instrument, though, I prefer the guitar. You just can’t beat a handcrafted archtop jazz guitar as far as beauty and history.
See how they are made below. maybe that will sway you in the direction of the jazz guitar.